Pictures We Love: Best of May

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Pictures We Love: Best of May

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Captured in a microscope photograph submitted to National Geographic's My Shot photo community by U.K.-based Greg Parker, two strands of the snaking Spirogyra algae sexually reproduce. So-called conjugation tubes link the strands' cells, allowing them to exchange genetic information.

Often seen floating in thin strands on freshwater streams and ponds, Spirogyra cells are filled with chloroplasts—packets of chlorophyll that allow the plants to generate energy via photosynthesis—whose spiraling shapes give the genus its name.

Greater adjutant storks crowd a dump as a woman hunts for rags to sell in Guwahati, India, on May 10. Overall, though, it's the storks that are being crowded out, as development drains wetlands that have long made Guwahati home to the world's largest concentration of the species.

"The brooding, shadowed trees help tell the story on a subconscious level."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"By leading our eyes through the bushes, the photographer makes this giant creature look so fragile and helpless."—Echo Xie, photo intern

Photograph by Chaideer Mahyuddin, AFP/Getty Images

Amazon Head Waters

A boy of the Yawalapiti people cools his head in the Xingu River in Brazil's Mato Grosso state on May 9.

Last month saw the start of preparations for the Yawalapiti ritual of Quarup, a multiday August celebration posthumously honoring people of importance to this Amazon Basin culture. Men caught fish to dry and store, while others stockpiled flour made from roots of the cassava plant.

Among the 2012 Quarap honorees will be a non-Indian: Darcy Ribeiro, an author, anthropologist, and politician who advocated for Brazil's indigenous peoples.

"Capturing the boy as his head hits the water seizes a great moment, but the play of light and dark across his tattooed body adds a unique dimension."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

"The lighting hides the branch in shadow and makes this photo more interesting ... When I first looked at it, I saw a perfect stop-motion of the boy diving into the water. Not until later did I realize he's only dipping his head in."—Echo Xie, photo intern

Photograph by Ueslei Marcelino, Reuters

Heaven's Gate

Open as if in invitation, a gate points the way to India's Taj Mahal in a picture posted on May 10 to National Geographic's Your Shot online photo community.

Though the mausoleum appears to be materializing from mist, it was painstakingly constructed, stone by stone, in the 17th-century—Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's immortal tribute to his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who had died in childbirth.

Why We Love It

"I really enjoy this unique perspective of the Taj Mahal: Its majesty and grandeur is almost lost behind an eerie, barren foreground. The barbwire gate, slightly ajar, and the sea of fog behind it give this image an especially spooky feel."—Ben Fitch, associate photo editor

Photograph by Prashansa Poddar, Your Shot

Escape

An improvised amusement park offers a rare flight of fancy for children in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 11—including a girl (center) whose family fled their village after militants and security forces began clashing there.

Why We Love It

"There is an underlying tension in this photo ... The girl seems conflicted by her emotions and confused by her environment."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

Photograph by Muhammed Muheisen, AP

Spring Awakening

Saffron crocuses outside Sarajevo signal spring in Bosnia and Herzegovina for photographer Denis Ruvic, who submitted this picture to National Geographic's Your Shot photo community on May 7. (Download flower pictures as wallpaper.)

Why We Love It

"The flash helps balance this picture's composition by giving us something to look at in the top of the picture. It's nice to see a filled-out frame in a landscape photo."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Photograph by Denis Ruvic, Your Shot

Adrift

Residents paddle a makeshift boat as flames claim houses in a Manila slum on May 11. At least a thousand houses were razed in the fire—the cause of which is yet unknown—leaving some 5,000 Filipino families homeless, local media reported.

Why We Love (?) It

"Some photos can't ever be loved, but they can be appreciated for bringing insight into another human being's life and for fostering empathy when tragedy strikes."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

The formations are thought to form when snowpack heats unevenly and sublimates—converting directly from solid ice to gas—in patches, leaving behind blades up to about 16 feet (five meters) tall.

Why We Love It

"I love photos that make me question what I'm seeing. Are these ice formations on Mars or salt sculptures in a desert? Shooting this stark landscape by the light of the moon gives the photo an otherworldly aura."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

A U.S. soldier holds an improvised explosive device (IED) before destroying it in Afghanistan's Zabul Province on May 24. (Pictures: "Military Medicine.")

Why We Love It

"How could something so crude cause so many casualties? The tight composition and monotone palette give this photo a simple and subdued feeling. The image belies how powerful the IED truly is."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor